Several forms of pillows with pockets or storage compartments are known in the art U.S. Pat. No. 4,389,784 to Cohen is directed to a pillow/display case for displaying various small objects. The pillow/display case in Cohen has a transparent, flexible overlay sheet secured to a wall of the pillow, creating a display pocket for the objects. U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,481 to Redman discloses a tooth-shaped pillow with a pocket for holding money and baby teeth. U.S. Pat. No. 3,863,283 to More shows a cushion with an exterior pouch for storing first-aid material particularly for carrying in an automobile. U.S. Pat. No. 2,962,731 to Bounds discloses a pillow with an interior pocket for carrying a radio, a handkerchief, or other valuable articles such that these articles are hidden. The prior art also includes pillow combinations which combine a pillow with some other article. U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,270 to.
Rivera is directed to a pillow with a baby bottle holder. British Patent 93,649 to Birch discloses a water bottle in a pillow. Furthermore, U.S. Pat. no. 4,768,245 to Dutton discloses a children's pillow with a book combination, including a conventional pillow with a pocket sewn to the exterior portion of the conventional pillow for receiving a book. The cover of the book contains some indicia, design, or color representing the contents or subject matter of the book and the identical or substantially similar indicia, designs, or color representations are likewise sewn into the cover of the pocket on the exterior of the pillow. U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,310 to Shields discloses a combined cushion and article carrier. This invention particularly provides a foam cushion held within a bag-like fabric covering, this fabric covering having a shoulder strap connected thereto to facilitate carrying of the bag. The foam cushion has an indentation formed in one surface for receiving articles such as closable cups or other bingo paraphernalia. U.S. Pat. No. 4,277,859 to Seaman discloses an inflatable traveling pillow, including an inner, rubber, inflatable portion and an intermediate fiber-filled case for the inflatable portion. The exterior cover is designed to prevent the head or other body part from contacting the plastic inflatable pillow portion. The carrying handle also provides a compartment for the storage of a small pneumatic pump to facilitate the inflation of the enclosed interior inflatable portion. The pillow's of the prior art disclose standard pillows with pouches and pockets superficially attached thereto whereby items may be protected and stored. Moreover the prior art teaches a pillow with additional cushioning supplied by inflatable or pneumatic cushion portions and/or where the pocket is superficially attached to the pillow where there is not sufficient padding between the layers of fabric which form the pocket, such that if items were stored within the pocket, and if the pillow were used, as a pillow, without removal of the items, the comfort of the user would be lessened as compared to the present invention. The prior art does not teach of a pillow to be transported by the use of a strap or handle, which is simultaneously a pocket for transporting and storing items, wherein the stored items are somewhat protected because of the padding which generally fills a compartment between the outer casement and the inner pocket lining.
The pillow of this invention solves these problems by means of a suitably sized pocket containing pillow which allows the individual to store items in the interior portion of the pillow, while still allowing for its use as a conventional pillow subsequent to, or coincident with, the articles being stored within the interior pillow pocket. The ability of the pillow of this invention to function as a pillow while simultaneously storing items is due, in part, to the inclusion of sufficient padding between the layers forming the exterior and interior lining portions. The pillow of this invention further comprises a handle, strap or other carrying means attached to the casement and different than the outer casement, to further facilitate use of the pillow as a transportable pillow and carrying bag.